IMG_4164.jpgIMG_4165.jpg
oven temperature day 2 annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd room temperature trial 1 day 2
Journal Article: Fabrication of large binary colloidal crystals with a NaCl structure.
This experiment focused on the purpose of indentifying a way to grow high quality binary colloidal crystals with an NaCl structure. The information given was that the growth of quality crystals was difficult because of gravity and slow crystallization rates. The researchers from the Debye Institute for NanoMaterials Science in Utrecht, The Netherlands looked in different areas to create high quality crystals including electrically, gravitationally, in dieletrophoretic fields and in colloidal expitaxy. Gravity-induced crystallization found that the binary crystals werent of a pure NaCl structure but of an NAs-NaCl mixture. In Electric-Field-Assisted crystallization, the different sedimentation rates of the two sizes of colloids prevented the ratio of small particles to big particles to not equal one, the ratio of NaCl. The expitaxial growth of binary crystals yielded binary crystal domains that were as large as the template used to grow the colloidal crystals. The dielectrophoretic compression on an expitaxial template yielded large, stacking-fault free domains which demonstrated that it was possible to grow NaCl crystals without any stacking defects. In conclusion the researchers determined that if one combines dielectrophoretic compression with epitaxial growth on a directing template, it avoids dispersion by gravity and obtains pure NaCl single crystals that were large and oriented (Vermolen, 2009).
Citations:
Vermolen, E.C.M. "Fabrication of large binary colloidal crystals with a NaCl." PNAS 106.38 (2009): 001-05. Web. 8 Feb 2010.


Abstract:

GROWTH OF SALT CRYSTALS IN DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES. Cameron. The purpose of the experiment was to examine the growth of NaCl crystals in different temperature environments. The experiment was conducted by using liquid bluing, sodium chloride and water in a bowl with a sponge and through certain processes crystals formed. It is noted that substance formed in both trials at room temperature and the trial at oven temperature. The substance on the bowl at the oven’s temperature was yellowish and noted to be crusty at first but was soft when crushed and that a shiny material developed on the sponge. A shiny material similar to the one in the oven temperature trial was noticed in both of the room temperature trials. In conclusion it can be determined that the shiny material was the mineral halite, a cubic crystal of sodium chloride and the yellowish material was the salt crystal garden type of crystal. Crystallization, Sodium Chloride, Thermodynamics, Halite.

Results:
Table 1: Daily Observations
Environment
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Oven (47 C)
Added materials to bowl
All liquid the liquid was dried up. Whitish substance on sponge.
All liquid gone, yellowish substance forming along sides of bowl. More substance on top of the sponge.
All the liquid is dried, yellow stuff is forming on outside of bowl and has grown considerably on inside. Surface of the blue material is solid and shiny.
Yellow material on outside of the bowl and spread to oven rack. Shiny solid forming in the bowl. Yellow material is crusty at first but is soft when crushed.
Room Temp 1
(22 C)
Added materials to bowl
All liquid was dried up. Some whitish substance on sponge.
Looks the same as yesterday.
Not all of the liquid is gone now and there is shiny crystalline solid forming out of the liquid.
More of the shiny solid is formed out of the liquid.
Room Temp 2
(22 C)
n/a
n/a
n/a
Added materials to bowl
Shiny solid is found in the bowl.
Refrigerator
(5 C)
Added materials to bowl
Liquid still in the bottom. Salt remains on top of sponge.
Salt piled around edges of the sponge.
Liquid is present and there is a salt mound on the sponge.
Liquid is covering the bottom of the bowl, nothing changed.
Freezer
(-21 C)
Added materials to bowl
Frozen liquid in the bottom. Salt remains on top of sponge.
Salt piled around edges of the sponge. Everything is frozen.
Liquid still there and the mound is present.
Liquid is frozen solid.